Sports bring people together. But history shows that, tragically, they've also been used as an arena for racism. Ahead of the Olympics, these five must-see films are based on true stories of racism and heroism in sports.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/SquareOne/Universum
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5 sports films that slam racism
Sports bring people together. But history shows that, tragically, they've also been used as an arena for racism. Ahead of the Olympics, these five must-see films are based on true stories of racism and heroism in sports.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/SquareOne/Universum
African-American track star wins gold in Nazi Germany
At the Summer Olympics in Berlin, 1936, track athlete Jesse Owens arrived to compete for the US, which was intent on showing the racist Nazis that athletes of every color can be outstanding. And with four gold medals and a new Olympic record, that's just what Owens did. Director Stephen Hopkins' 2016 biographical sports drama "Race" is a tribute to Owens.
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Gallows humor in Nazi times
German Sinto boxer Rukeli Trollmann won the German light-heavyweight title in 1933, which back then was a total taboo for the regime. Trollmann was stripped of his title. Not one to give in, he showed up for his next fight with a powdered face, his hair dyed blond. Director Eike Besuden's 2012 film "Gibsy" mixes documentary and feature film elements to commemorate this true story.
Image: Jörg Landsberg
Defying prejudice in teamwork
In 1971, racism was a part of everyday life in America's southern states. Based on real events, Boaz Yakin's 2000 sports drama "Remember the Titans" is the story of two high school football teams that are forced to become a unit. No easy task for the coaches, played by Denzel Washington and Will Patton: One team has white players only, the other team is made up of African-Americans.
Image: Imago/ZUMA Press
Caught up by the past
"Playoff" by director Eran Riklis is set in the early 1980s. In the film, an Israeli basketball coach named Max Stoller is hired to turn the West German national team into contenders for the Los Angeles Olympics. Israelis accused him of being a traitor, but he was not to be deterred. The 2011 movie retells the true story of legendary Israeli basketball coach Ralph "Mr. Basketball" Klein.
In 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first black baseball player to sign with Major League, which was still all white. He consequently faced a great deal of hostility and a petition from fellow players to have him removed. Brian Helgeland's film "42" tells the sports legend's story. He wore jersey number 42 - a number that has in the meantime been officially "retired" in his honor.
Image: Warner Bros Entertainment
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As Rio gears up for the 2016 Summer Olympics, the Hollywood film "Race" by Stephen Hopkins makes it debut in Germany. The film tells the true story of African-American track legend Jesse Owens (played by Stephan James), who competed for the US in the 1936 Olympic Games in what was then Nazi-ruled Berlin.
Most successful athlete in Berlin
An audience of 150,000 watched in 1936 as Owens won the 4x100 meter relay, the 100-meter and the 200-meter race. He beat the German contender Carl Ludwig "Luz" Long on the long jump, setting up new Olympic record.
Owens' four gold medals made him the Berlin Games' most successful athlete. The decision to compete in Germany at all wasn't an easy one for the 23-year-old, who wondered whether he shouldn't in fact boycott the Olympics, since they were taking place under the Nazi flag.
Later, Owens said he actually faced much greater racist hostilities at home in the segregated US than in Germany. He and his German opponent Long became close friends. The summer of 1936 - those were "the happiest days of my life," the US athlete later reminisced.
Tackling racism in sports
"Race" is more than a haunting sports biography, it shines light on how sports and politics are intertwined, and it spotlights an issue that is still an issue today: racism. It's not the only film to tackle racism in sports. Click through the gallery above for a look at other worthwhile films based on true stories.
